Week of December 7

Sir: The oversized load corridor is a fantastic idea, however I feel like it would be more practical to have the route come up Indian Road to Exmouth Street.

Currently, at the corner of Indian and Confederation there are concrete islands separating the traffic, which could implicate a right hand turn with a long/oversized load. I’ve seen and heard about numerous oversized loads that had issues making that corner already.

Yes, I understand that the point of the project is to simplify the path, so why not make it as straight as possible: Churchill Line to Plank Road, then north on Indian straight to Exmouth Street?

The way I see it, fewer corners and fewer obstacles mean less room for driver error, fewer excuses for causing damage to city property, and less time trying to get trucking companies and drivers to make good on the damages they cause.

I know I’m not a professional, but this is a perfect example of the K.I.S.S. system — Keep It Simple, Stupid. If the point of this project is to simplify the route for the fabrication industry, moving goods from the southeast side of Sarnia to the harbor and docks on the northwest side of the city, then Indian Road to Exmouth makes more sense and would save a bunch of money on the project.

Thomas Mulvihill

Petrolia

Sarnia Sting’s great season just keeps rolling along

Sir: A great season is unfolding and the Sarnia Sting just keep sailing along on.

The team has all four lines scoring and a never-say-die attitude. We’re even starting to see a few bounces going our way.

Confidence is flowing through this team, and the players just seem to know they can pull out wins.

They play very disciplined hockey, stay out of penalty box and the power play is tops in the league. And the goaltending gives a great effort each night.

Sarnia is rated the top junior hockey team in Canada again, and that’s not too shabby.

Go Sting go!

Cam Ross

Sarnia

Bureaucrats allowing public assets to fall apart

Sir: In recent years, bureaucrats in Sarnia and Lambton County have allowed libraries, Jackson Pool, the MacLean Centre and other facilities to fall into disrepair.

Residents are required to maintain their properties and the aesthetics of their neighbourhoods, and the same accountability should befall the bureaucrats who are the stewards of the people’s money.

Jeff Williams

Bright’s Grove

Thank you, for the special Sarnia Remembers edition

Sir: Thank you so very much for The Journal’s special Remembrance Day edition, ”Sarnia Remembers.”

I am an ‘army brat,’ and 60 years ago when we were stationed in Germany our father took us to Dieppe.

He also took us to Belgium and introduced my mother, sister and I to a family who kept him safe during the Second World War. That was an education not found in a textbook, for sure.

I many not remember my name by 10 p.m. tonight, but I can still remember all the white crosses!

Thank you once again for helping us remember, and giving thanks to our veterans and their families.

Mary Ettinger

Sarnia

Members of public couldn’t speak at pre-budget meeting

Sir: At the Nov. 20 meeting of city council, senior administrators denied the public an opportunity to speak during the ‘Public Input Session.’

The CAO said there had been provincial legislation changes at the last minute, to which I spoke out and asked: “At 8 p.m. on a Monday night?”

Mayor Mike Bradley, who was absent, was not contacted to consider these proposed changes.

Following a break in the meeting, the CAO gave Coun. Dave Boushy a notice to read, which stated that unless you were on the agenda, no one else would be allowed to speak.

The meeting was adjourned and the Public Input Section was bypassed!

This was a pre-budget meeting, and yet people weren’t allowed to speak on the topic, so what was the point?

The city clerk said a notice has been placed in the newspaper. But it was only the regular notice, with information on how to get a delegation on the agenda, but nothing at all about changes to the Public Input Section.

The proposed budget is for more than $140 million, an increase of more than $20 million since the current CAO was installed. Without the public’s input, council and city management will go ahead, once again, and pass this without our feedback. We are now a full-blown dictatorship.

The speakers, who were so rudely ignored, deserve to be heard. Therefore, they should be allowed to present their concerns PRIOR to the 2018 budget being passed!